SINGAPORE: After his father rejected his requests for money, a jobless gambler began accompanying his mother grocery shopping, taking advantage of her dementia to get her to withdraw a total of about S$ 42, 000 ( US$ 31, 660 ).
The cash, which was in his parents ‘ combined account, was meant for the old woman’s medical costs for her situation.
Chow Zhida Gary, 37, was sentenced to 13 months ‘ jail on Tuesday ( Aug 6 ) for a crime the prosecutor called” cruel”.
The Singaporean admitted to three fraud counts.
Another three charges were taken into consideration, including pushing his old father and threatening a police officer, saying in Mandarin:” You want to enjoy large, come, I have a nasty or poor life, you want to play with me come, I have two children”.
According to the jury, Chow’s kids were both 80s taxpayers.
They shared a joint bank account, from which either may withdraw cash.
At the time of the crimes, Chow was unemployed and heavily in debt from playing.
He frequently eluded payment requests from his parents, but they never came back.
Knowing that his family suffered from memory, Chow usually accompanied her to get groceries.
He and his family escorted money on at least eight times between May 2020 and June 2020.
He did n’t tell his father about it because he was aware that she was incapable of explaining why she was assisting him in getting the money.
He consistently instructed his mother to take small steps to prevent sending his father an update about significant payments.
In full, S$ 38, 350 was withdrawn from his parents ‘ bank accounts. Chow deposited the remaining funds into his own account while keeping some of the money.
In late July 2020, Chow’s parents realised that there was only about S$ 49 left, yet though he remembered that being more than S$ 36, 000 outside.
He made a police statement.
Chow afterwards took his mother to a store where he demanded that she pay off another S$ 4, 000.
His father’s banks informed him that the joint account did not have the required amount needed to keep the account open in January 2021.
The old man requested additional police information to help pay for his wife’s health expenses.
On top of stealing from his own relatives, Chow even stole jewellery for about S$ 5, 000 from his 76-year-old uncle, pawning them off.
Chow lied and claimed that his mother had asked him to assist him with money withdrawal requests to offer to other family members or friends when he was being interrogated by the authorities.
When confronted by the numerous debris he had made into his own account, he admitted to using his mother’s mental illness to acquire funds for himself.
He has n’t returned any money to his parents or aunt to date.
The attorney requested 16 months in jail, noting that all of the stolen objects or funds were worth about S$ 5, 000.
He said what sets this circumstance apart from others was the” severe mistreatment of faith” against Chow’s mom, who was a vulnerable target.
He claimed the old woman needed the money for her health care, but Chow allegedly cheated on it, utilizing her dementia to the point where there was “literally nothing to steal.”
The attorney argued that the brutality shown to such a devoted and resilient victim serves as what distinguishes this case and justifies a thick sentence.
He claimed that Chow’s guilty plea, along with no compensation or assistance with the authorities, was nothing that could dampen his feelings.
Chow, who was disadvantaged, said nothing in reduction. He asked simply to postpone his word to Aug 12, citing his father’s day.
He was granted this demand.